Equality Florida Presents Three Central Florida Events

Equality Florida, the largest LGBT rights advocacy organization in the state of Florida, presents three events in Central Florida in the coming week. To start off, there will be two equality connection mixer events. The first one will be held at Time Out Neighborhood Pub & Grub (1265 Kingsway Rd., Brandon) on Monday, April 27 at 6:30 p.m. The second will be held at The Hammered Lamb (1235 N. Orange Ave., Orlando) on Wednesday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. Finally, gala season is still underway, and this time the North Central Florida LGBT community will come together in support of Equality Florida at this year’s Gainesville Gala, which will be held at The Historic Thomas Center (302 NE 6th Ave., Gainesville) on Friday, May 1 at 7 p.m.

At the Gainesville Gala, Florence M. Turcotte and the United Church of Gainesville will be honored with the Voice for Equality Award. Ms. Turcotte is being recognized for her lifelong advocacy and, in particular, her work that led Alachua County to pass an LGBT-inclusive human rights ordinance. Also, Equality Florida Deputy Director Stratton Pollitzer will be giving the State of the State address, outlining 2014’s victories, the current struggles we are facing this legislative session, and how you can be a force of change in your community. Tickets for the Gala are $50 per person and can be purchased online by going to eqfl.org. Ticketholders’ names will be held at the door at the night of the event for verification upon entry.

Many people who support Equality Florida have never been to an “equality connection.” It’s a mixer event that’s smaller than a gala, more casual and intimate, and free to attend. Equality Florida development directors and other volunteers host the events; they let people know what is going on at Equality Florida, what they are doing to combat LGBT discrimination across the state, and how you can help. You can donate to Equality Florida, sign up to volunteer at events, and keep abreast of the latest happenings by signing up for their mailing list — all while you enjoy food, drinks, and great company at the equality connection mixer! This is Orlando’s first equality connection of the year, while this is eastern Hillsborough County’s first-ever equality connection. RSVP ahead of time for either event so the restaurants know how many people to expect. You can do that by going to eqfl.org and visiting the “events” sidebar.

Mike Halterman has been the editor of Hotspots Central since its launch in July 2016. He joined the Hotspots Media Group family as editor of Hotspots' South Florida magazine in June 2013. A former "40 Under 40" honoree in The Advocate magazine, Mike lives in the Tampa Bay area.